The Grief That Does Not Speak
by Aegle831
Summary: Episode III, it is about Padme and even Obi-Wan. It is how they deal with the thought that Anakin is presumed dead after a mission.


Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. These all belong to Lucas.

Author note: This is one of my first writings, so I am betaless and reviews would be awesome ::hint, hint::

Basically the story does take place in Episode III. It may be slightly spoilerish, though what I do write about what actually happensis my thoughts. The story itself is about Padme and even Obi-Wan (I kinda jump between the two. This will make sense if you read it). It is how they deal with the thought that Anakin is presumed dead after a mission. Basically I got the inspiration from a picture from episode 3 and a Shakespearean quote. Anyways, read, enjoy and review!

* * *

"Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak.

Whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it to break."

–MacBeth IV iii

* * *

It was midmorning on Coruscant, the city outside was buzzing with life. Padme sat silently behind her desk, working intently on paper work for the petition. She hoped this would bring an end to the Chancellor's power-hungry ways; otherwise she feared the Clone Wars would have been for nothing and the Republic would fall into ruin. She stopped only when the child in her womb stirred. Instinctively, she placed her hands over her swollen stomach, and smiled. She sat there, thinking of her future; Anakin had promised he would be home for the birth of their child. He was so happy to find out he was to be a father. She thought of the family that they had created and with the Wars almost over, they would be for the first time, truly a family, or at least, as much as a family as they could be.

She was drawn away from her thoughts, as her handmaiden, Motee entered the room. "Milady, General Obi-Wan Kenobi is here to see you."

She looked up surprised at this announcement, but years of political conditioning had taught Padme to conceal such emotions. "Every well. Send him in." Padme cautiously replied_. 'Odd that Ben is back from his mission with Anakin, and Anakin hasn't come to see me.'_

She pushed these thoughts away from her conscious self as she went to greet Ben with the customary kiss on each cheek. Looking at him, she could tell something happened on the mission; he was not the same, something happened that has wounded him deeply. He looked worn, worried, and sad even. She knew whatever happened it was something he did not want to speak of, or could speak of just yet, the pain was still to near to him. "Ben, I was not expecting to see you back so soon. Was your mission productive? And what brings you to see me today?" she smiled as she squeezed his hand reassuringly, "why don't we sit down?" as she motioned to the coach, near the window over looking the city-planet.

They sat there in silence for a few moments, until he began to speak. "Padme, something terrible has happened, and I know he would want you know, you two were always so close." He stopped and looked at her, tears in his eyes and then he saw her, pale as ever, trembling; she was scared of the words she knew he was going to speak. He took a deep breath and took her trembling hand in his, "On our mission, we were separated. There was a struggle with Dooku. Anakin was injured and kidnapped by Dooku. It is unlikely he has survive."

He looked at her, there she sat still trembling, and now she shook her head in disbelief, mumbling something about a promise, "Padme, Anakin is dead."

With those words, the woman who sat next to him, looked at him directly, her face soaked with tears, "Ben, he can't be dead. He just can't be. No, he promised he would return. He promised he would return…" and then she stopped and bit her lip, and began again in a whisper, "he promised he would return in time…."

* * *

He had never seen her like this before; never in all the longs years he had known her. She had been the calm, collected, and fearless Queen or the determined and steadfast Senator from Naboo; she was not the woman who sat mumbling on about some promise. She had always rational, levelheaded, and not one to show emotions; she was not the broken grieving woman who sat next to him. He always knew she cared for Anakin and Anakin her, but he did not realize just how much that caring was until he sat next to her at this very moment. She sat there looking at him, and it seemed that he could see this woman's heart breaking right before him. It was in this moment, as he watched her in her disbelief, sorrow, and heartbreak, that he pitied her for the first time. At the moment, he did not fully understand why he pitied her, but he did. It was in that pity that he took her into his arms and held her; doing the best he could to console her. He whispered to her, "ssssshhhhh, milady. Everything will be fine…"

Her body tensed at these words; she wrenched herself away from him and stood up. She looked at him in a way he had never seen her look before; there was anger, rage and even hate in her eyes. The woman who stood before him was not the concerned Queen, the socially conscious Senator or the compassionate woman he knew; the woman who stood before him was a foreigner. This foreigner grew even more foreign when she spoke.

"Everything will be fine?! Everything will be fine?!" she began, irritation and anger rose in her voice, "how can it be Ben? How can you be so naïve? Anakin, Anakin is dead…"

"Padme, please, there is no need to yell," he pleaded, trying to calm the foreign woman down.

"Don't you interrupt me!" she snapped at him, "Everything is NOT fine nor will it be. Can you really be that naïve Ben? Anakin, My Anakin, my Ani is gone. My husband is gone…" and then she began weeping, struggling to say all that she must in her sorrow, "the father of my unborn child is gone."

Ben sat there stunned by the confession he had just heard. Anakin and Padme were married and expecting a child. He knew not what to feel; he only felt the shock of the confession. He sat there, stunned, staring at the ground. He was so very confused; so many emotions that he could not process. It was only the sound of the woman weeping that brought him back to the real world. He saw her and then he understood; her heart was breaking. "Padme, I'm so sorry. I didn't know…" he whispered as he stood to embrace her.

She pulled away. "You couldn't have know," she whispered, "however, right now, I think I would like to be alone. So if you would excuse me, I shall retire now."

She turned and walked out of the room before Obi-Wan had time to respond. He was left there, standing alone; standing in shock. He didn't know how long he stood there, or even how he got back to his room in the Jedi Temple. All he knew was that Anakin was gone and Padme was pregnant with Anakin's child.


End file.
